Robert Charles White

Robert Charles Stanley White was born on January 23, 1928, a native of Louisville, KY who lived his last 56 years in Strathmoor Village. He passed away on October 24, 2022, at the University of Louisville Hospital at the age of 94. He was preceded in death by his wife of 70 years, Clara Ray White and is survived by his son Rev. Robin White and his partner, Rev. Barry Christensen and Mr. P., the last of a long line of rescue cats. Bob was a member of Strathmoor Presbyterian Church.

Bob served for decades as a deacon and elder at his church and was particularly concerned with the plight of those who suffered from hunger. His favorite hymn was Just a Closer Walk With Thee. He never gave up on family, friends and even strangers. He was an honorary Dad to many lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender who had lost their families when they came out.

Over a half century he and his wife traveled to almost every nook and cranny of the continental USA and Canada, first with a tent, eventually graduating to the monstrous motor home. Perennial favorites were Silver Springs, Florida and the Great Smoky Mountains. He also traveled with his son to Austria, Belgium, Germany, Holland, Luxembourg and Switzerland.

He read extensively, enjoying the Westerns of Max Brand, the tales of Doc Savage, and the sea stories of Ramage and Hornblower. More recently, Grisham, Baldacci, Lee Childs and Clancy have peaked his interest. After retirement in the early 90s, he tried something new every year, becoming proficient in woodworking and stained glass. Most recently, crosswords and Sudoku have captured his attention. Earlier in life, he enjoyed dancing and he and Clara Ray would go dancing every opportunity they could find, specializing in square dancing from the 60s all the way into the early 80s. He was a good cook and did most of the cooking for his family, culminating in the Christmas feast celebrated for decades until COVID-19 interrupted it. He always enjoyed having the extended family at his home and loved to tell stories and enjoyed humor immensely.

Bob was drafted in 1946 into the Army and became a paratrooper, achieving the rank of Technical Sergeant 5 before being mustered out. He used the GI Bill to train in radio and TV repair and he ran a successful business for more than a decade, all the while studying at nights at the University of Louisville, earning a BS in Mathematics and Physics and the Master of Arts in Teaching and Rank II certification as a teacher. He taught at Shawnee and Manual High School and was praised by students who were able to finally learn geometry after failing under other teachers. Late in his career he also taught computer science.

He was an excellent semi-professional photographer, winning amateur contests with the Courier Journal and photographing many a wedding. He made the transition to digital early and kept his interest in photography going until they stopped travelling.

All told, a long, good life, well-loved and well lived.